Martin O’Neill and his Sunderland team were booed off at the final whistle as they failed to take advantage of Norwich keeper Mark Bunn being sent off with an hour to go.

The result left Sunderland 16th, just a point above Aston Villa and four above the relegation zone.

Norwich, who are still three points better off, had the better chances and Sunderland failed to create a decent opening after Bunn’s dismissal in the 31st minute and Craig Gardner’s spotkick equaliser nine minutes later.

Visiting manager Chris Hughton said: ‘To go down to 10 men so early, it has to be one of our best points of the season. I would have liked to see us with 11 for longer.’

Early bath: Chris Foy sent off Norwich keeper Mark Bunn for what he perceived was a deliberate handball

Norwich also conceded a dubious
penalty for handball while failing to receive one of their own when
Danny Rose handled. But they were perhaps fortunate when Grant Holt was
only booked for clattering into keeper Simon Mignolet.

Hughton added: ‘It has not been a good
day for us with regard to decisions. But it has been a good day in
terms of what resilience a team can show.

‘I have not been to see the referee. It is too soon after the game when feelings are high and we need to analyse the decisions.’

Wes Hoolahan scored the visitors’
first Barclays Premier League goal at the Stadium of Light to give his
side a 26th-minute lead. He is also the first Irishman to score a
Premier League goal on St Patrick’s Day.

That lead wasn’t especially deserved
but, if they could have kept 11 men on the pitch, Norwich will feel they
would have won their first game in 13.

Yet the Sunderland fans who turned on
their manager and his players during and after the game — their seventh
without a win — must be fearful for the Tyne-Wear derby against the
Europa League quarter-finalists on April 13.

O’Neill said: ‘I’ve been assured we
got a bit of luck with Danny Rose. It was clearly in the box; it was
handball. But the other decisions are correct.

Controversy: Bunn raced from his area before the ball appeared to accidentally hit him on the elbow

‘The second half was disappointing; we
didn’t do enough. We should have made the extra man count. The number
of chances we created was disappointing.’

He admitted his side face a fight to
stay up, with Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton up next.
‘We needed back-to-back wins at Christmas and need the same again.’

For his 59 minutes on the pitch, aside
from the spot kick from Gardner, Lee Camp made just two saves on his
Norwich debut. The first was to stop a long- distance drive from Seb
Larsson, which the Northern Ireland keeper parried into the path of
Danny Graham.

Ahead: Wes Hoolahan put Norwich in front as they took on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light

Still goalless, still struggling to
get fans on his side rather than his back, Graham, a £5.5m signing from
Swansea, who turned down Norwich, flailed at the rebound and the shot
bobbled wide.

Gardner, still out of position at
right back, also tested Camp after the break but the supply from the
midfield was non-existent.

Adam Johnson, James McClean, Larsson
and David Vaughan have disappointed for most of the season and, when
Stephane Sessegnon has an off-day, as here, Sunderland don’t function.

As good as it got: Norwich celebrate their opening goal but had to settle for a point in the end

They fell behind after failing to
clear two corners. Kei Kamara was left unmarked at Robert Snodgrass’s
kick and Hoolahan headed Kamari’s attempt home on the line. Hoolahan was
sacrificed to make way for Camp when in the mood to cause havoc.

But referee Chris Foy deemed Bunn’s
block on a looping header from John O’Shea illegal. The ball hit the
underside of Bunn’s right arm and the Norwich keeper protested his
innocence shortly after throwing his gloves to the ground as he stormed
off.

Level pegging: Gardner smashed home a penalty to equalise for Sunderand

Five minutes before half-time,
Norwich’s ire was towards linesman Peter Bankes. He may have spotted
Sebastien Bassong handling O’Shea’s pass but Fletcher was offside as
Sunderland’s captain played the ball.

Then, two minutes before Holt
squandered the best chance, Bankes failed to award Norwich a penalty
after Rose handled Russell Martin’s cross in the area.

But that is nothing compared to the misery Sunderland and O’Neill must be feeling now.

Jumping for joy: Gardner celebrates his goal but Sunderland were unable to push on and find a winner